In despair after partial knee replacement
Posted , 6 users are following.
I had a partial knee replacement 6 months ago. It was awful at first then after 6 weeks or so there was some improvement and by the 2 month mark i felt i was making progress, despite still suffering from a tightness and strange 'digging' feeling in my knee. I did the physio religiously and was walking regularly and using the exercise bike. I even climbed a (small) mountain in August with my trekking poles. But over the last 2 months things have gone massively backwards. My knee is permanently painful, feels tight inside and whenever I do exercise it swells up and the back of my knee is agonising. I have that horrid 'digging' feeling and get very painful pulling and twanging of the ligaments around my knee.
I went to see my consultant 10 days ago and he said the x-rays are fine and my knee should be fine. He sent me away saying 'treat it normally' so the next day i went for a 3 mile walk. My knee swelled and the pain was so bad i have just had to have a week off work (i am a teacher). All the symptoms i have described above are present despite being prescribed strong anti-inflammatories by my GP and using a TENS machine. I am at my wits' end. I KNOW there is something not right with this knee replacement but my consultant says he doesn't understand it as the xrays are fine and thinks it's just nerve pain. But nerve pain doesn't cause swelling!
This op has ruined my life. Before i was a keen hillwalker and very active. I was still walking despite my knee problems but this op has made things worse. I am in way more pain than i ever was. I need to go back to work tomorrow and have no idea how i'll cope. I have asked my GP to help me get a second opinion but God knows how long it will take. I am so depressed and it is affecting my husband and two young children too.
0 likes, 7 replies
debbie08326 Caitibean
Posted
Hi
You need more time. I am 3 years out from a PKR. I would say the entire first year it was difficult. Whenever I did too much it would swell up and hurt. I was always back to iceing and elevating. I even had to have it drained two times. Not sure what all that was about.
Bottom line is this - I was a runner - no more running! No more anything that is too aggressive on the knee. Hiking is way too aggresive. I am happy now to be able to do long walks and do stairs and get up and down off the floor with my grandkids.
My guess is you are doing to much and need to back off , take some down time.
I work and have a business and am very busy/active person. I basically baby my new knee so I can do what a have to do and I also want it to last a long time. !
I am happy that I had the surgery and hope it never needs to go into a total like many others have had to have done. Hang in there ! If the doc said it looks good than just ice and elevate few days.
Debbie
jean02698 Caitibean
Posted
I would ask for a second opinion. I had a TKR last November and ask to go for 2nd opinion. 6 weeks ago the new surgeon replaced the knee. I am much further ahead at 6 weeks than I was at 10 months. Keep pushing for answers.
martha08360 jean02698
Posted
Have I asked you before why you had to have revision? If I have , I apologize.. If I haven't , would you mind telling me what precipitated you having to have another one??
jean02698 martha08360
Posted
When my stitches were removed the surgeon told me that he had difficulty centering my knee cap but had thought he had fixed it. My knee was huge...very swollen...and at 4 weeks I woke up and my knee cap was on the side. For the 10 months i had the new knee i could never do leg raises. I had to lift the leg and in order to walk had to swing the leg forward and the knee cap kept pulling my leg to the left. it was very difficult and painful to walk far. At my next check up I was given a prescription for a leg brace to wear for 12 weeks and if no success more surgery. I wouldnt let the surgeon do the operation and said i wanted to go see a surgeon with expertise in my problem. Im 6 week post and very pleased with my results. ive had less pain with this surgery than my other 2 TKRs. I am so glad that i got a 2nd opinion.
CHICO_MARX Caitibean
Posted
This is NOT a linear recovery. There are advances, setbacks and plateaus (the worst). The first thing to do is give up ALL your expectations and focus on improvements. If you pushed the knee too far, you need to back off, rest, elevate and take some ibuprofen 10 days max. Voltaren Gel (generic diclofenac...RX in the US) can help along with capsaisin and menthol OTC patches. The recovery for a full or partial will take about a year (maybe less for the partial). Embrace it...
The depression comes from two sources, the biggest one is your expectations. The second is a Jedi Mind Trick...
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martha08360 Caitibean
Posted
I am sooo sorry.... I feel your pain, as I have the same thing going on with my knee replacement, and it's been almost 2 years.... I too wish I had never had this surgery !!!!
Snoozy69 Caitibean
Posted
Hang on in there i'm sure things will get better over time. if you have had an xray and the surgeon says its fine what else can he do?
I had a TKR back in september 2017 unfortunately i got an infection in my joint but my surgeon failed to listen to any concerns and said what i was experiencing was totally normal. a year later the implant became loose which was confirmed by a bone scan. i underwent a first stage revision with dynamic spacer back in May this year and the new surgeon said during the operation he found a 1CM X 1CM cavity under the tibial plate, this is what caused the implant to become loose. I am now experiencing pain again but the new surgeon says its because ive been overdoing things. That was 2 months ago and its getting worse. ive had an xray taken and i see him again on Wednesday to find out if there is anything to be concerned about. I am currently off work and walking with a stick, I can't weight bear first thing in the morning or when i have been sat down for any length of time which I do find concerning.
hope all goes well SUE X